Officials from Indian Point said neither of the nuclear plant's two reactors were affected by the earthquake that hit Virginia and shook most of country's East Coast.

"The plants did not shut down," Indian Point spokesman Jerry Nappi said on Tuesday. "They are online and operating at full power."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state would undertake a comprehensive review of critical infrastructure after the quake, including Indian Point.

The nuclear plant, in Westchester County, has been under intense scrutiny since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Japan five months ago. One of Indian Point's reactors is built practically atop the intersection of two fault lines, and both nuclear units are built to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 6.1.

Critics said Tuesday's temblor underscores the potential danger at Indian Point. Some believe that federal authorities need to consider earthquake risk as part of the ongoing re-licensing review for Indian Point, which is seeking a 20-year operating extension on both of its units.

"We sincerely hope this is a wake-up call for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and President Obama," said Deborah Brancato, a staff attorney at Riverkeeper. "This earthquake reinforces that if someone tells you what happened at Fukushima (Japan) can't happen here, they are not telling you the truth."